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The job of raising children is a tough one. Children don't come with an instruction handbook. And each child is different. So parents sometimes pull their hair out in frustration, not knowing what to do. But in raising children---as in all of life---what we do is influenced by our culture. Naturally then, American parents teach their children basic American values.

    To Americans, the goal of parents is to help children stand on their own two feet. From infancy, each child may get his or her own room. As children grow, they gain more freedom to make their own choices. Teenagers choose their own forms of entertainment, as well as the friends to share them with. When they reach young adulthood, they choose their own careers and marriage partners. Of course, many young adults still seek their parents' advice and approval for the choices they make. But once they "leave the nest" at around 18 to 21 years old, they want to be on their own, not "tied to their mother's apron strings."

   The relationship between parents and children in America is very informal. American parents try to treat their children as individuals ─ not as extensions of themselves. They allow them to fulfill their own dreams. Americans praise and encourage their children to give them the confidence to succeed. When children become adults, their relationship with their parents becomes more like a friendship among equals. But contrary to popular belief, most adult Americans don't make their parents pay for room and board when they come to visit. Even as adults, they respect and honor their parents.

    Most young couples with children struggle with the issue of childcare. Mothers have traditionally stayed home with their children. In recent years, though, a growing trend is to put preschoolers in a day care center so Mom can work. Many Americans have strong feelings about which type of arrangement is best. Some argue that attending a day care center can be a positive experience for children. Others insist that mothers are the best caregivers for children. A number of women are now leaving the workforce to become full-time homemakers.

    Disciplining children is another area that American parents have different opinions about. Many parents feel that an old-fashioned spanking(一頓打) helps youngsters learn what "No!" means. Others prefer alternate forms of discipline. For example, "time outs" have become popular in recent years. Children in "time out" have to sit in a corner or by a wall. They can get up only when they are ready to act nicely. Older children and teenagers who break the rules may be grounded, or not allowed to go out with friends. Some of their privileges at home like TV or telephone use may also be taken away for a while. Although discipline isn't fun for parents or children, it's a necessary part of training.

Being a parent is a tall order. It takes patience, love, wisdom, courage and a good sense of humor to raise children. Some people are just deciding not to have children at all, since they're not sure it's worth it. But raising children means training the next generation and preserving our culture. What could be worth more than that?

Title: The Job of Raising Children

Paragraph outline	Supporting details
Introduction	It is no easy task to bring up children. Parents sometimes feel very 1  ▲  , not knowing what to do.
The goal of parents	They help children to be 2  ▲   instead of depending on parents.
The relationship between parents and children	An informal relationship exists between American parents and children. ● Children are praised and 3  ▲   to realize their dreams. ● Children are treated 4  ▲  more like friends.
The issue of childcare	Most young couple struggle with this issue.  ● 5  ▲  , mothers stayed home with kids. ● Recently, a day care center is where preschoolers are put. ● There is a(n) 6  ▲   over whether attending a day care center is a positive experience for children.
Ways to 7  ▲  children	American parents have different opinions. ● "Time outs" have become 8  ▲   in recent years. ● 9  ▲   away some privileges is a way to punish  some older children and teenagers.
Conclusion	Raising children takes patience, love, wisdom, courage etc., but it is 10  ▲   .

 

 

While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon is commonly known as “ Empty Nest Syndrome”(空巢綜合癥). In order to seek better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.

The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “ distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “ Empty Nest Syndrome”.

1.According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by ________.

A. their earlier experience of feeling lonely

B. the unfavorable living conditions in their native countries

C. the common worry about their income

D. the geographical distance between parents and children

2.Many young people have gone abroad, leaving

their aged parents behind, to _______.

A. live in the countries with more money

B. seek a better place for their aged parents

C. continue their studies abroad

D. realize their dreams in foreign countries

3.If young people go abroad, ________.

A. they do not hold to the value of duty at all

B. they can give some help to their parents back home

C. they cannot do what they should for their parents

D. they believe what they actually do is right

4.From the last paragraph, we can infer that______

A. the situation in the developed and developing countries are different

B. “Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society

C. children will become independent as soon as they go abroad

D. the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”

 

In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition（學(xué)會）of each new skill — the first spoken words, the first independent steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is common that parents hurry the child beyond his natural learning rate, but this can set up dangerous feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early, and a young child might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm（熱情） for life and his desire to find out new things for himself.

Parents vary greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. Some may be especially strict in money matters; others are severe over time of coming home at night or punctuality（準(zhǔn)時）for meals. In general, the controls imposed（強加的）represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community（社區(qū)）as much as the child’s own happiness.

As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality.  Also, parents should realize that “example is better than precept”. If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach（說教）, their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled.

A sudden awareness of a marked difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can be a dangerous disappointment.

1.Eagerly watching the child’s acquisition of new skills _____.

A．should be avoided

B．is universal among parents

C．sets up dangerous states of worry in the child

D．will make him lose interest in learning new things

2.When children are learning new skills, parents should _____.

A．a(chǎn)chieve a balance between pushing them too hard and leaving them on their own

B．not expect too much of them

C．encourage them to read before they know the meaning of the words they read

D．create as many learning opportunities as possible

3.The second paragraph mainly tells us that _____.

A．parental restrictions vary, and are not always enforced for the benefit of the children alone

B．parental controls satisfy only the needs of the parents and the values of the community

C．parents should be strict with their children

D．parents vary in their strictness towards their children according to the situation

4.The underlined word “precept” （in Paragraph 3） probably means “_____”.

A．idea

B．punishment

C．instruction

D．behaviour

5.In moral matters, parents should _____.

A．satisfy their children’s needs

B．be aware of the marked difference between adults and children

C．forbid things which have no foundation in morality

D．observe（遵守，奉行） the rules themselves

 

While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon is commonly known as "Empty Nest Syndrome”（空巢綜合癥）．

In order to seek better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.

The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as "distant parent phenomenon", which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for "Empty Nest Syndrome".

1.According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by __________.

A．their earlier experience of living alone

B．the poor living conditions in their native countries

C．the common worry that they have not saved much money

D．the distance between where parents live and where their children live

2.Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to __________.

A．realize their dreams in foreign countries

B．seek a better place for their aged parents

C．live in the countries with more money

D．continue their studies abroad

3.If young people go abroad, __________.

A．they do not hold to the value of duty at all

B．they can give some help to their parents back home

C．they cannot do what they should for their parents

D．they believe what they actually do is right

4.From the last paragraph, we can infer that __________.

A．the situations in the developed and developing countries are different

B．"Empty Nest Syndrome" has arrived unexpectedly in our society

C．children will become independent as soon as they go abroad

D．the aged parents are not fully prepared for "Empty Nest Syndrome"

5.The society discussed in the passage is most probably __________.

A．France           B．America           C．China             D．Britain

 

People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible(有責(zé)任感的) citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.

These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(墓地).On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.

Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought  in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.

1.Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?

A．Parents bring up children.

B．Parents give love and care to children.

C．Parents educate children to be good persons.

D．Parents pass away before children grow up.

2.What do you think “florists” do?

A．They sell flowers.

B．They make and sell bread.

C．They offer enough room for having family parties.

D．They sell special gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

3.Which do you think is right about “carnation”?

A．It has only two kinds of colors.

B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day.

C．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.

D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May.

4.What do you know from the passage?

A．Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May.

B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past.

C．Not all the children respect their parents

D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home.

5.On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day,     .

A．people usually have family parties

B．everyone goes to visit the cemetery

C．children always go to parents’ home

D．hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts